The More You Know: Main

New blog

2009-02-04T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Rohrbach Library blog has moved! You can now find us here!

New Database: Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media

2008-12-02T17:35:00.002-05:00

By Robert Flatley
Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Interlibrary Loan, and Periodicals

The Library is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media for the first time ever in electronic format. This venerable reference resource can now be accessed anywhere/anytime via the web.

Description below: Ebook version of the Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media. This directory has been the definitive source for media information since 1969. The premier directory for up-to-date data, it contains more than 57,000 listings for radio and television stations, cable companies and print media publishers. Detailed entries provide full contact information, including address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses and Web site URLs, listings of key personnel, including feature editors, owner information, hours of operation, publications or networks carried, and much more.

You can access all the library's e-resources at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er/

Announcing: Oxford Islamic Studies Online

2008-11-25T08:32:00.001-05:00

By Robert Flatley
Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Interlibrary Loan, Periodicals

Oxford Islamic Studies Online brings together the best current scholarship in the field and promotes accurate and informed understanding of the Islamic world. Encompasses over 3,000 A-Z reference entries, chapters from scholarly and introductory works, Qur'anic materials, primary sources, images, and timelines.

Edited by John L. Esposito, University Professor of Religion and International Affairs and of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University.

Today's the Day!

2008-11-04T09:10:00.001-05:00

We have been gearing up for this election for two years, and now, we the people decide who will be the next president of the United States! Get out today and cast your vote!

EBSCO Research Starters for Business and Education

2008-10-28T19:30:00.000-04:00

By Robert Flatley
Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Interlibrary Loan & Periodicals

Now through June 2009, the library has trials of EBSCO Research Starters for Business and Education.

Answering the question, “Where do I start?” EBSCO Publishing is introducing a series of new databases designed to provide researchers and students with a starting point for their research and assignments. Research Starters are topic overviews, relevant to key areas of academic study, including links to key articles in associated EBSCOhost databases.

Research Starters follow an easy to use format. The topics correlate directly to courses taught at colleges and universities and provide students with authoritative, discipline-specific articles offering comprehensive overviews of important academic subject areas and topics. The databases aim to provide a gateway to resources needed for assignments, including quick access to key, related articles from EBSCOhost which have been handpicked by subject matter experts and scholars.

Each Research Starters database initially consists of 500 topics with approximately 25–50 new topics added each year. Each database includes a collection of summary articles written by subject-matter experts exclusively for EBSCOhost—approximately 3,000 words each. Articles are available in both HTML and PDF versions.

Summary articles include Abstracts, an Overview section, and charts, graphs, and tables for visual reference. In addition, articles contain Application of Concepts, Definitions of Terms and Concepts, Extensive Bibliographies, Links to Articles on EBSCOhost from the Bibliographies, a Suggested Reading section, and Author Biographies.

Click here to access Research Starters - Business.

Click here to access Research Starters - Education.

Or you can perform a search in an EBSCO database such as Academic Search Complete. Research Starters material appears in the lower right.

Absentee Ballot Deadline

2008-10-22T12:48:00.004-04:00

Want to vote in this year's Presidential Election, but are unable to be in the county in which you are registered on Election day? The last day that the state of Pennsylvania will accept absentee ballot forms is October 28, 2008 at 5pm.

Fill out this Absentee Ballot Application form, and mail it to your County Election office.

Living Library debuts in United States

2008-10-22T12:06:00.001-04:00

Fresh from libraries of Europe, this living library concept was recently debuted in a Santa Monica Public Library in California. The Concept? A Living Library allows library visitors to book half-hour meetings with individuals with special interests, beliefs, or experiences.

To find out more about this interesting movement, read this article.

For information on the next Living Library Event, visit the Kitsap Regional Library website.

Dictionary Day

2008-10-16T14:53:00.003-04:00

I can't think of a better way to celebrate words than to take part in Dictionary Day, which is today! Dictionary.com is a great resource for finding tons of word definitions. Want to go deeper than that, to see the origins and varied definitions of a word? Check out the library's subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary, which can be found on the Rohrbach Library Articles and Databases page.

New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Database

2008-10-09T13:41:00.001-04:00

By Robert Flatley
Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Interlibrary Loan, and Periodicals

The Library is pleased to announce the acquisition of the New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online, 2nd edition.

An extensive and authoritative economics reference resource which contains over 1850 articles by more than 1500 of the world’s leading economists. "In 2008, Palgrave Macmillan published The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition, edited by Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume. While some classic articles from the 1987 were retained, around 80% of the text was either entirely new or substantially rewritten to reflect the depth of change within the discipline between the editions. This new edition retains the inspiring tradition of bringing together the world's most influential economists writing in their own voice on their areas of expertise, but in its online incarnation it has married this tradition with the benefits of a dynamic, updated resource serving the information needs of a new generation of economists."

You can access all the library’s e-resources at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er/index.asp

New Early American Databases

2008-09-30T11:50:00.004-04:00

By Robert Flatley

Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Interlibrary Loan and Periodicals

The Rohrbach Library is pleased to announce the addition of Early American Newspapers Series 6 & 7 to our e-resources collection.

Early American Newspapers, Series 6 & 7 includes more than 320 significant 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century newspapers, including titles of unique historical significance, regional weeklies and big-city dailies.

Series 6 includes many new titles of singular importance, including the Detroit Plaindealer, Detroit’s first successful black newspaper; The Colored American, which provided detailed coverage of the Amistad revolt; Argus of Western America, an early Kentucky paper and a strong supporter of Andrew Jackson; and the Arkansas Gazette, one of the first papers west of the Mississippi. Other significant titles include the Kalamazoo Gazette, Kansas City Times, Northern Standard, Oregon State Journal and many more.

Series 7 includes many new titles of singular importance, including New Orleans' Times-Picayune, established in 1837 and one of the South’s most prominent newspapers, and The Oregonian, founded in 1850 in Portland and still the state’s largest daily.

This marks a major addition of primary source materials to the library’s collection.

You can access all the library’s e-resources at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er.

Anniversary of the Appointment of the First Woman Supreme Court Justice

2008-09-25T11:50:00.007-04:00

On September 25th, 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed as the Supreme Court's 102nd justice and its first female member. Today we celebrate this important moment in history, for women and for the world! Visit just one of our great databases, the Biography Resource Center, to learn more about O'Connor and other important women in history!

Naxos Music Library

2008-09-23T21:27:00.003-04:00

The Rohrbach Library is pleased to announce the addition of the Naxos Music Library to our collection of e-resources.

Naxos Music Library is the world's largest online classical music library. Currently, it offers streaming access to more than 24,450 CDs with more than 348,700 tracks. On average, 500 new CDs are added to the library every month.

Library Card Sign-Up Month

2008-09-18T12:43:00.001-04:00

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!

To access the Rohrbach Library’s materials, if you have received a Kutztown University Student Identification card, you can stop by the Main Circulation Desk to activate it for library use.

Gold Library Cards are issued to students who do not have time to get a KU ID card, but require off-campus access to the library’s resources. In order to obtain a Gold Library Card, you must come to the Circulation Desk and present a Photo ID.

For more information, contact the Circulation Desk at: 610-683-4480

______________________________________________________

If you do not have a library card for a public library system in your area, we encourage you to sign up today!

Visit the Pennsylvania Public Libary website to find a library near you! Happy reading!

Free (or at least really cheap!) Textbooks

2008-09-15T10:22:00.004-04:00

I've got to be honest and say that a "free textbook" sounds a little too good to be true, but these web tools, as described in the New York Times article, "Don't Buy That Textbook, Download it Free" seem pretty interesting.

The article cites several websites that have jumped on this bandwagon, including an open source website called Connexions, which allows professionals, scholars and students to share and edit scholarly content on the web.

Publishers have caught on to this web-share phenomenon, particularly with the creation of CourseSmart, an online textbook resource endorsed by five major education textbook publishers. E-books are available across a wide range of courses and subjects, and the website advertises that students can save up to 50% off their semester textbook cost by signing up for the service.

On their website, CourseSmart provides student testimonials about the service. One student says, "By purchasing the eTextbook I got the book instantly and was able to complete my assignments. I enjoy using the CourseSmart eTextbook, because I don't have to carry the entire book around, I just print the chapters that are going to be covered during that semester; the cost of the eTextbook was in my budget, it was less expensive than going to the college bookstore and standing in the long lines. I recommend the Course Smart eTextbook."

It sounds like these services have great potential to serve students in numerous ways. Check out their websites for more information and save some money on textbooks today!

Having problems logging in?

2008-09-03T15:26:00.003-04:00

Are you having problems logging in to your Windows, email or Blackboard accounts? Contact our new Information Technology Technician, David Reimer at 610-683-4167 for assistance.

Scheduling Classes in the Library

2008-09-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

Need to use library space for a class? Contact the Reference Desk at 610-683-4165 for more information!

Presidential Election Information

2008-09-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

Stop by the Curriculum Materials Center for voter registration and candidate information! Remember that your vote counts! If you are not registered to vote, you must register by October 6, 2008 to vote in the Presidential Election.

Visit Rock the Vote to complete a your registration form online!

Welcome New Library Faculty and Staff!

2008-09-03T11:50:00.005-04:00

We would like to welcome four new faculty and staff members to the Rohrbach Library:

Elise Dodeles - Digital & Visual Resources Librarian

Bruce Jensen - Information Commons & Multicultural Support Librarian

Ed Landrock - Audiovisual Center Technician

David Reimer - Information Technology Technician

We are excited to welcome these people to our team!

Off-campus access to Library Databases

2008-07-18T11:53:00.000-04:00

If you are enrolled for the Fall semester, and need to use the library databases over the summer, your login may not work from off-campus. If so, please call 610-683-4480 and ask for access to the databases. We are sorry for the inconvenience, there is a computer glitch we are trying to fix.

Literature Criticism Online, the world's most comprehensive literature resource, now available.

2008-06-30T15:18:00.000-04:00

The library has partnered with Gale publishing to provide online access to the hundreds of volumes of literary criticism and commentary through the Literature Criticism Online database. This comprehensive resource includes the complete full-image text of 10 of Gale publishing's most popular literary criticism series. These series represent a range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras and genres. They include centuries of analysis — the scholarly and popular commentary from broadsheets, pamphlets, encyclopedias, books and periodicals — delivered in an easy format that matches the exact look and feel of the print originals. Literary Criticism Online includes hundreds of digitized volumes and more than 200,000 essays extending back 20-30 years. The series would take up over 230' of shelf space in print. Literature Criticism Online compliments the library's subscription to Literature Resource Center which contains Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Authors New Revisions, the Dictionary of Literary Biography, as well as criticism. Ten individual Gale series comprise Literature Criticism Online, representing a range of modern and historical views on authors and their works, across all regions, eras and genres:

Contemporary Literary Criticism — covers authors currently active or who died after Dec. 31, 1999
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism — covers major authors of 1900-1999
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism — covers major authors of 1800-1899
Shakespearean Criticism — comprehensive coverage of Shakespeare
Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 — covers authors of the late-middle ages, the renaissance and the restoration eras
Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism — covers major classical and medieval authors
Poetry Criticism — covers poets of all eras
Short Story Criticism — covers major authors of short fiction
Drama Criticism — covers major dramatists of all eras
Children’s Literature Review — covers the most influentialauthors of children’s literature

Literature Criticism Online distinguishes itself from other literature criticism collections in both its far-reaching scope and in the scholarly selection process that brings this content to the screen. Literature Criticism Online provides easy access for researchers. Patrons can search across and within all 10 individual Gale series that comprise Literature Criticism Online. It features comprehensive treatments of traditional and contemporary literature; topical treatments to draw readers into discussions around race, class, gender and society; and contextual materials to help students better understand the social, political and historical implications of a work.

To access this resource click here. You can view all the library's databases at http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er/index.asp

Philosopher's Index now available in EBSCOhost

2008-06-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

The premier index for philosophy research, the Philosopher's Index, is now searchable via the popular EBSCOhost interface. Previously the Philosopher's Index was only available via an antiquated search platform known as SilverPlatter. The benefits of EBSCOhost include familiarity (EBSCO databases are the library's most heavily used resources) and, more importantly, direct linking to full-text articles available in other EBSCO databases. To use the new interface visit the library's database pages or click here.

2008 Election - The Electoral College

2008-06-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

The US National Archives and Records Administration has developed a nice Website about the US Electoral College that includes general information in addition to links to FAQ's, teacher resources, historical results, and other voting resources. Check it out at:
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/index.html

Summer Time, Summer Time

2008-05-09T14:35:00.001-04:00

It is summer time! We have different hours for the summer season beginning May 10, 2008.

The new library hours for May 10 - 27, 2008 can be found online at:
http://www.kutztown.edu/library/rl_events.asp

Library hours for the entire summer can be found online at:
http://www.kutztown.edu/library/about/hours.asp

Finals Week Library Hours

2008-04-29T09:39:00.001-04:00

Friday, May 2: 7:45 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 3: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 4: 10:00 a.m. - Midnight
Monday - Thursday, May 5-8: 7:00 a.m. - Midnight

These extended hours can be found online at:
http://www.kutztown.edu/library/rl_events.asp

Free Classical Music Download

2008-04-29T08:50:00.000-04:00

Alexander Street Press is offering Chopin's Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44 as their free classical music download of the week on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library. To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Chopin's Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44

From the Alexander Street Press site:
"The Polonaise has its origins in several Polish folk dances. By the eighteenth century, the stylised Polonaise used by composers had acquired its defining characteristics: triple time, moderate tempo, repetition of rhythmic figures, and a lack of upbeats. Chopin was the greatest composer of polonaises and the Op. 44 Polonaise is one of his best.

Composed in 1840-1, Op. 44 begins to break down the strict ternary form of the earlier polonaises, and anticipates the later hybrid Polonaise-fantasie.

This recording is performed by France Clidat, piano. "

Download this work through May 8, 2008 at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

Library adds two popular online chemistry databases to the collection.

2008-04-24T11:43:00.000-04:00

The new databases allow researchers access to hundreds of e-books published by CRC Press, the leading publisher of books, journals and electronic materials in the sciences.

CHEMLIBnetBASE This is a collection of over 300 chemistry and chemistry related e-books. Topics covered include: analytical, industrial and applied, inorganic, materials, medicinal, organic, physical, polymer, and surface & colloid. Also covers electrochemistry, geochemistry, fuels and petrochemicals, photochemistry, separation science/chromatography, and spectroscopy. You can search the full text and view complete e-books and chapters in PDF format. You can also browse e-books by category.

CHEMnetBASE Online access to premier chemistry e-books including: Combined Chemical Dictionary, Dictionary of Commonly Cited Compounds, Dictionary of Drugs, Dictionary of Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds, Dictionary of Natural Products, Dictionary of Organic Compounds, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Polymers: A Property Database, and Properties of Organic Compounds. You can search the full text and view complete e-books and chapters in PDF format. You can also browse e-books by category.

Click here to go to the library's databases page.

Students Invited to Open Session

2008-04-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

The Rohrbach Library is currently undergoing a five-year review. Two external reviewers will be on campus on April 24th to gather information, meet with various groups, and write a report about the library and its services.

Kutztown University students are invited to meet with the external reviewers to discuss how the Library serves their needs on April 24th from 2:30-3:00p.m. in RL 28.

We hope to see you there!! Please pass this information along to any interested KU student. For more information, please contact Ruth Perkins, Program Review Committee Chair, at 610-683-4608. Thanks.

The Vending Machines are Here!

2008-04-21T11:36:00.001-04:00

Vending machines have been placed on the first floor, next to the coffee shop! A special thanks goes out to all of the students who requested these machines! We appreciate and value your input and opinions! Check out the newest addition to our library!

What does "scholarly" source mean?

2008-04-13T19:51:00.003-04:00

Sometimes your professor might qualify an assignment with instructions to use only scholarly sources. This is especially true when working with articles. The terms “peer-reviewed” and “refereed” mean that a panel of distinguished peers in a particular field have read the articles contained in a particular journal in that field and have decided that they are of high scholarship and are supported by appropriate research.

The Library has a handout that helps to better illustrate the differences between "scholarly" and "popular" sources. Check it out at:
http://www.kutztown.edu/library/materials/PopularvsScholarly.pdf

Library Hours for Spring Recess

2008-04-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

During Spring Recess, the Rohrbach Library has the following schedule changes:

Thursday, April 17th - open 8a.m.-5p.m.
Friday, April 18th - open 8a.m.-5p.m.
Saturday, April 19th - closed
Sunday, April 20th - closed

For more information on the Library's hours, please see:
http://www.kutztown.edu/library/about/hours.asp

Alexander Street Press Free Music Download of the Week

2008-03-30T16:42:00.000-04:00

Alexander Street Press is offering Ginastera's Estancia Suite, Op. 8a as their free classical music download of the week on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library. To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Ginastera's Estancia Suite, Op. 8a

"On a tour of South America with the American Ballet Caravan in 1941, Lincoln Kirstein commissioned a ballet from Alberto Ginastera with an Argentine subject. The composer responded with the one-act Estancia.

Choosing a typical Argentine estancia (a cattle ranch on the pampas) as his setting, Ginastera taps into the 'gauchesco' literary tradition, quoting from the epic poem Martin Fierro in numbers sung by a baritone. Gauceschos were Argentine cowboys who worked the cattle, and Ginastera quickly became the musical voice of their tradition.

The piece was first performed in Buenos Aries on 12 May 1943.

This recording is performed by the Carlos Chavez Symphony Orchestra; Fernando Lozano, conductor. "

Download this work through April 11, 2008 at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

You Can Now Attach Documents in RefWorks

2008-03-21T12:53:00.000-04:00

The new “Attachments” feature allows users to attach non-bibliographic information to their references, much like attaching files to an email message. With the release of this feature, RefWorks users have the ability to organize and store images and documents within their personal database. A variety of information can be "attached" to a RefWorks record including images, compounds, formulas, and spreadsheets to name a few. Check out tutorial at:

http://info.csa.com/refworks/attachment_feature/preview.shtml

Deadline Approaching...

2008-03-19T10:49:00.001-04:00

March 24th is the deadline to register to vote in the Pennsylvania Primary. If you have not registered to vote, visit the Rock the Vote website to complete a registration form!

Search WorldCat and JSTOR in Facebook

2008-03-19T10:45:00.000-04:00

Facebook users can now utilize WorldCat and JSTOR search application to find library resources. WorldCat is an online catalog of over 50 million items, JSTOR is an online archive of scholarly research journals covering all subject areas.

WorldCat:
http://worldcat.org/toolbars/

JSTOR:
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2412474777&ref=s

For JSTOR, you might want to add the library's proxy information so you can search off-campus. The library's proxy url for JSTOR is: http://navigator-kutztown.passhe.edu/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/search/

Library adds CQ Global Researcher Database

2008-03-19T10:23:00.000-04:00

The CQ Global Researcher meets the increasing demand for balanced, reliable reporting on international issues and crises. Modeled after the renowned, award-winning CQ Researcher, CQ Global Researcher delivers definitive, in-depth coverage of newsworthy global affairs from a multitude of international viewpoints.

Alexander Street Press - Free Download of the Week

2008-03-18T12:35:00.000-04:00

Alexander Street Press is offering Wagner's Siegfried Idyll as their free classical music download of the week on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library. To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Wagner's Siegfried Idyll

"Wagner, grateful for the birth of his son Siegfried, wrote the lyrical Siegfried Idyll as a 33rd birthday present for his wife, Cosima. It was first performed outside her bedroom on Christmas morning 1870 by a group of fifteen musicians.

The Siegfried Idyll was a private gift that was never intended for publication. Its themes are derived from the opera Siegfried, a String Quartet that Wagner had been writing when he met Cosima in 1864, and a lullaby, "Schlaf, kindlein, schlaf". Wagner, however, was compelled to sell the manuscript in 1877 due to financial hardship.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor."

Download this work through March 28, 2008 at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

Wear green proudly...

2008-03-17T14:13:00.001-04:00

Check out the History Channel's St. Patrick's Day page for more information about this special holiday!

Women's History Month Discussion in VCC

2008-03-05T10:19:00.003-05:00

You're invited to the Rohrbach Library on the Tuesday after break for a literary discussion in the Voices and Choices Gallery

WHEN: Tuesday, March 18th, at 11 a.m.
WHAT: As part of KU's Women's History Month programming, retired English and Women’s Studies faculty member Dr. Angela Scanzello will lead a discussion of Isabel Allende’s short stories “Tosca” and “Letters of Betrayed Love.”

Copies of the stories are available in the Rohrbach Library and in the Women’s Center. Please contact Elaine Reed (reed@kutztown.edu) for more information about this discussion.

Alexander Street Press - Free Download of the Week

2008-03-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

Alexander Street Press is offering the first Vaughan Williams masterpiece, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra and string quartet as their free classical music download of the week on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library. To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Vaughan Williams'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

The first Vaughan Williams masterpiece, the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra and string quartet shows clearly for the first time the composer's distinctive voice. Written in 1910 and subsequently revised in 1919, it has become one of Vaughan Williams' most popular works outside his native England.

Vaughan Williams was working on an edition of the English Hymnal when he came across Tallis' tune, written in 1567 for Archbishop Parker's Psalter. He became fascinated with the psalm tune, which seems to have triggered a leap forward in his compositional style, and used it as the basis for the Fantasia commissioned by the Gloucester Festival.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Christopher Seaman, conductor.

Download this work through March 13, 2008 at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

New "INFORMATION COMMONS" Desk at Rohrbach!!

2008-03-02T14:07:00.002-05:00

The Dean of Library Services announces the following change in service at Rohrbach Library:

“Guess What! The Library is always listening to your comments and suggestions. Therefore, to serve you better, the library will start a pilot program today for an Information Commons model to enhance the way we provide services to our users. An Information Commons model has many library services available at a 'one-stop' location. Instead of going to several desks to obtain an answer for your questions, you will only have to go to one desk in many instances. As you will see from this model, we aim to provide services to fit our patrons' needs. As always, we will continue to make adjustments to our library services and functions to ensure a high level of library services." --Barbara Simpson Darden, Dean of Library Services

Rohrbach Library partners with Scirus

2008-02-26T14:38:00.001-05:00

Scirus is the most comprehensive science-specific search engine on the Internet. KU students, faculty and staff using Scirus will now be automatically directed to the full-text of an article if it’s held by the library.

Please go to: http://www.scirus.com/srsapp and select Kutztown University from the list. Make sure you select the “enable radio button” and then save your preferences. This will bring you to the basic search screen. The next time you run a query and you get journal results, full-text linking will be available.

Driven by the latest search engine technology, Scirus searches over 450 million science-specific Web pages, enabling you to quickly:

Pinpoint scientific, scholarly, technical and medical data on the Web.
Find the latest reports, peer-reviewed articles, patents, pre prints and journals that other search engines miss.
Offer unique functionalities designed for scientists and researchers.

Scirus has proved so successful at locating science-specific results on the Web that the Search Engine Watch Awards voted Scirus 'Best Specialty Search Engine' in 2001 and 2002 and 'Best Directory or Search Engine Website' WebAward from Web Marketing Association in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Learn more about Scirus at http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/aboutus/

Kyle Quinn Exhibit

2008-02-26T13:33:00.001-05:00

The library is honored to be able to display the exhibit “Kyle Quinn, Kutztown University Student and Poet.” The exhibit is located next to the Reference Desk on the first floor near the main entrance. It includes many photographs of Kyle and a selection of his poetry. Included in the exhibit is a guest book for your messages. The book will be given to the family at the conclusion of the exhibit.

Rohrbach Library Newsletter - Spring Edition Available

2008-02-20T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Spring 2008 edition of the Rohrbach Library Newsletter is now available in PDF at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/about/newsletter.asp

Print copies of the newsletter should be available in the library next week.
Please contact Karen Wanamaker, editor, if you have any questions: kwanamak@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4709

Alexander Street Press - Free Tchaikovsky Download

2008-02-20T08:21:00.003-05:00

Alexander Street Press is offering Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Ronan O'Hora on piano and James Judd as conductor as their free classical music download of the week on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library.) To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23

In November 1874 Tchaikovsky embarked on his first attempt at a concerto. Surviving a notorious critical attack by Rubinstein, the work was duly finished in 1875. An appreciative Hans von Bülow then gave the first performance of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in October. Rubinstein later recanted his view that the concerto was unplayable, badly composed and plagiarized; he helped it achieve major success at the Paris World Exhibition of 1878 and it has enjoyed popularity ever since.

The piece does indeed borrow from other sources; the first movement's theme is based on the Ukranian folk melody 'Song of the Blind'; the Prestissimo of the second movement quotes from a popular Waltz, and another folk song provides the basis for the Finale. The concerto's legendary difficulty has acquired it the nickname 'Hymn of the Virtuosi'.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Ronan O'Hora, piano; James Judd, conductor.

Download this work through February 28, 2008 at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

ASARO Exhibit to Appear in New Jersey in March

2008-02-19T15:46:00.003-05:00

If anyone missed Professor Kevin McCloskey's ASARO exhibit last semester in the library's Voices and Choices Center, here is another chance to view some of the wonderful prints and hear him speak about them:

Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council at Passaic County Community College Presents: MEXICAN REVOLUTIONARY PRINTS -- From the collection of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania -- March 11 – April 30, 2008 at the Broadway & LRC Galleries

Presentation—March 11th at 2:00 pm at Broadway Gallery
Location: Paterson Room
Presented by: Prof. Kevin McCloskey, Kutztown University
Reception: March 11th 3:00 – 5:00 pm

Broadway at Memorial Drive, Paterson, NJ
(973) 684-5448 For more info, go to: http://www.pccc.edu/art/gallery

Celebrate Amy Tan

2008-02-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Today is novelist Amy Tan's birthday. Tan is responsible for great contemporary works such as The Joy Luck Club and The Hundred Secret Senses.

For more information and resources regarding Tan's life and works, check out some of these databases that the Rohrbach Library provides for students:

Biographical Information:
Biography Resource Center

Critical Works and Reviews:
JSTOR
Literature Resource Center
Project Muse
MLA Bibliography

Library Will Trade Pizza for Opinions

2008-02-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

Volunteers are needed for 5 student focus groups during the week of February 25th. The focus groups will last only 40-60 minutes, and pizza and beverages will be provided. This effort is part of the Library’s Strategic Planning Committee efforts to gather opinions about the library and library services from our patrons. Separate focus groups are being formed for students and faculty. Librarians will be asking the student volunteers questions to help us determine how students use library services and how the library can best improve these services. We need both undergraduate and graduate students to participate.

If you wish to volunteer for one of the student focus groups, email Bruce Gottschall at gottscha@kutztown.edu for dates and times. Volunteers are taken on a first come, first serve basis.

Did you know...

2008-02-13T11:27:00.001-05:00

17 years ago today, Sotheby's announced the discovery of a manuscript of Huckleberry Finn, by author Mark Twain. It had been lost, or unaccounted for, for more than one hundred years. For the complete story, click here.

For more information on author Mark Twain, and other great literary figures, see our library catalog.

Building an Inclusive Community

2008-02-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

The Voices & Choices Center of the Rohrbach Library Hosts a Frederick Douglas Scholar-in-Residence Discussion:

"Building an Inclusive Community"
The Dialogue Continues...But Where is the Action?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
12:00 Noon
The VCC Gallery

A panel discussion with KU student leaders moderated by Dr. Nathaniel Williams.

Alexander Street Press - Don Juan download

2008-02-05T08:44:00.000-05:00

Alexander Street Press is offering Strauss' Don Juan, Op. 20 as their free classical music download of the week on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library.) To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week: Strauss' Don Juan, Op. 20

Richard Strauss' masterpiece Don Juan, based on Nikolaus Lenau's fragmentary verse-drama, was composed in 1888 and first performed on 11 November 1889 with Strauss conducting. Marking the emergence of Strauss the composer, this orchestral piece of virtuosity has found a permanent and popular position in the repertoire.

The work established Strauss' international reputation and its immediate appeal is still infectious today. The dynamic hero is wonderfully conjured by the fireworks of the orchestral writing, and portraits of three of his ladies form the basis for three contrasting episodes.

This recording is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor.

Download this work through February 14, 2008 at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

New Blog Design and Page

2008-02-04T13:26:00.000-05:00

The Rohrbach Library Blog, "The More You Know", is now updated with a new look and a new Events page. Make sure to check out our new page for information about upcoming Library Events!

Announcing Unitedstreaming multimedia library

2008-01-29T16:33:00.000-05:00

The library is pleased to announce the addition of Discovery Education's Unitedstreaming. It is the largest online, multimedia library of educational videos and images geared towards a K-12 audience. It is searchable by keyword, subject, topic, grade, and curriculum standard. It includes more than 4,000 full-length video programs, chaptered into more than 40,000 content-specific video clips that can be streamed or downloaded directly for use in the classroom.

You will need to create an account and enter KU's institutional password to use this database

Click here for a flyer and information on how to access the database

Link to: Unitedstreaming

You can access all of the library's databases at http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er/

Bullets and Bandages - KU Reading Exchange Event

2008-01-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

The Voices & Choices Center of the Rohrbach Library Presents a KU Reading Exchange on January 29th:

"Bullets and Bandages"
by Kutztown University author Robert Saniscalchi

Tuesday, January 29, 2008
11:30 a.m.
The VCC Gallery

Discussion of the recent book based on his brother's experience as a combat medic in Vietnam.

Introduction of the Author by Michael Gambone, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History Department, Kutztown University

Guests are invited to read about the topic for discussion. Copies of a chapter from Bullets and Bandages are available at the library's circulation desk.

PA Student Voter Guide

2008-01-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

The Department of State for Pennsylvania has created a nice student voting guide to help answer all sorts of voting questions for college students. Check it out at:
http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/lib/voting/guide/student_voting_guide_05.pdf

Are you ready for the 2008 elections?

2008-01-20T16:24:00.000-05:00

Rohrbach Library wants to make sure that KU students are ready to make their votes count in the elections of 2008. For more information about election dates, primary elections, voting, registering to vote, absentee voting, and candidates, check out the bulletin board in the Curriculum Materials Center for a handout or see the handout at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/materials/voterinfo.pdf
for information and important Web sites.
Make your voice count in this year's elections!

FREE Music Downloads from Alexander Street Press

2007-11-14T12:43:00.000-05:00

Alexander Street Press is offering free classical music downloads on their Website. Every two weeks, they will offer a complete work from their Classical Music Library. To stay up-to-date with the most current offering, you can link to: http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com/music/

The current offering can be seen below:

Classical Music Library Free Download of the Week

Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Op. 80

Written mainly in 1946, with some material dating back to 1938, the First Violin Sonata is a gloomy and intense work. Prokofiev worked closely with its dedicatee David Oistrakh on the violin part, and the result is a work that exploits the range and qualities of the instruments to their fullest potential. Oistrakh gave its first performance with Lev Oborin on 23 October 1946.

An impassioned and anguish-filled first movement contains some remarkable passages including what the composer described as "wind in a graveyard" (rapid violin scales over a piano chorale). The second movement, by way of contrast, is an exuberant and violent Allegro brusco. A colorful Andante follows before the finale, with its remarkable and mercurial cross-rhythms and gentle epilogue.

Download now through December 13th at: http://musicdownloads.alexanderstreet.com/promo

Introducing Music Index Online

2007-11-08T17:18:00.000-05:00

The library is pleased to announce:

Music Index Online

The Music Index Online, produced by Harmonie Park Press, is the most comprehensive subject-author guide to music periodical literature. The Music Index Online has been available in print since 1949. The Music Index Online online coverage spans from 1975 to the present and contains surveyed data from over 800 music periodicals from over 40 countries, with English translations from 22 languages. This database cites book reviews, obituaries, news periodicals, and news and articles about music, musicians, and the music industry.

Accessible at http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er/index.asp under “M” and subject Music.

Career Resources at Rohrbach Library

2007-11-01T10:05:00.000-04:00

It's National Career Development Month!

"Get your career in Gear" by stopping by KU's Career Center in 113 Stratton Administration Building or by coming to the Rohrbach Library and using some of the great resources we have.

Professor Sue Czerny has created a wonderful bibliography to get you started with our resources, and you can always find additional resources through our online catalog or by stopping by the Reference Desk and asking for help.

Career Resources Bibliography (in pdf here or pick up a copy at the library)

Spring 2008 Undergraduate Master Schedule

2007-10-24T11:37:00.000-04:00

Need a Paper Copy of the Spring 2008 Class Schedule?

You can NOW print a scanned copy of the Undergraduate Master Schedule from E-RESERVES off the library main page. You can go to the following link and enter the password “kup” in lowercase:
http://ereserves.kutztown.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=501

OR
1. Go to the library website
2. Under the “Find Information” heading, choose “eReserves”
3. Click on “Connect to eReserves.”
4. Click on “Electronic Reserves & Reserves Pages”
5. Type “College Catalog” in the search box
6. Click on the link for the 2008 Spring College Catalog
7. Type in the password “kup” in lowercase
8. The catalog is broken up into sections so you can print only the parts you need.

As always, you can still use the online version of the catalog at the Kutztown University website:
https://portal.kutztown.edu/common/catalog/offerings.asp

Greater Reading Literary Festival Events

2007-10-17T13:43:00.000-04:00

Take advantage of the great literary events taking place through READING READS: The Greater Reading Literary Festival! http://www.readingreads.com/

Of particular note, here is your chance to meet Donald Hall, U.S Poet Laureate, who will read at the Miller Center on Tuesday, October 23 at 6 pm. There is more information at: http://www.readingreads.com/index.php?id=donaldhall, and tickets are available online at: http://www.racc.edu/MillerCenter/

VCC Exhibit - ASARO Artwork

2007-10-02T14:02:00.000-04:00

ASARO, the Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca, is a collective of young Mexican artists responding to Oaxaca’s current political turmoil. ASARO’s remarkable woodblock prints are part of Mexico’s long tradition of popular revolutionary art. The artists sell woodblock prints for 100 pesos, roughly $10, in Oaxaca’s public square. ASARO’s real passion, however, is the work they give away. Overnight they cut paper stencils of an arrested comrade, the next morning her portrait is sprayed all over the walls of the historic city center. They print 3ft. tall woodblock prints of goose-stepping police monsters on tissue paper. By dawn a chorus line of these mutant police is pasted on the cathedral’s wall. Seldom seen in the United States, a selection of ASARO’s best artwork will be displayed at Kutztown University's Rohrbach Library this fall.

Celebrate with us at an opening reception on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 4:30 PM. Prof. Kevin McCloskey will talk about his visit with ASARO in Oaxaca this past summer. Reprints of Amnesty International's Human Right's Report: "Oaxaco: Clamour for Justice" will be available free of charge.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact Sandra Allen at 610-683-4163.

REVOLUTIONARY MEXICO: an annotated list of historical sources available at Rohrbach Library

Click on the images below for a bibliography of art resources to accompany the exhibit:

VCC Presents a KU Reading Exchange

2007-09-20T14:23:00.000-04:00

The State of Exception:
Have We Become a Homo Sacer?

Based on Giorgio Agamben's Theory

Discussion led by

Pietro Toggia, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Criminal Justice Department
Kutztown University

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

3:00 p.m.

The VCC Gallery

Guests are invited to read about the topic for discussion. Copies of an excerpt from State of Exception are available at the library's circulation desk.

"Affirmative Action in 2007: What’s left to be done?"

2007-09-17T17:48:00.000-04:00

A Frederick Douglass Institute Lecture Series discussion on the state of affirmative action in the USA today will be presented by Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams, FDI Scholar-in-Residence, on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at noon, in the Voices and Choices Center Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

Introducing the Gale Virtual Reference Library

2007-09-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

The library has recently subscribed to a new virtual reference collection called the Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale is one of the largest publishers of reference titles for libraries. More info below.

Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of 26 full-text encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These works fall under the subjects of Business, History, Law, Medicine, Multicultural studies, Nation and World, Religion, Science, Social Science, and Technology.

Gale Virtual Reference Library (link to search all titles)

The Library currently subscribes to the following titles:

These titles are linked at the library’s database pages at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/er/

Read a Banned Book during Banned Books Week

2007-09-06T12:36:00.000-04:00

The Rohrbach Library will take part in celebrating the American Library Association's Banned Books Week from September 29th - October 6th. Get a jump on celebrating your freedom to read by getting more information about banned and challenged books at:

American Library Association's Challenged and Banned Books page:
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.htm

American Library Association's Banned Books Week page: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

MSNBC article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20480366

Amerian Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Issues page:
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ifissues/Default883.htm

New Way to Access RefWorks at Home!

2007-09-05T17:24:00.000-04:00

You can now access RefWorks from home using the standard off-campus authentication (your KU ID card #). Previously users had to use a special password for off-campus access. This will simplify the process.

New link for RefWorks: http://voyager.ship.edu/remote/validate.cgi?db=REFWORKS

RefWorks is an online bibliographic management program that allows faculty, students, and staff at KU to create a personal database of e-references. References can be automatically imported from a search performed in some online databases or references can be entered manually. References can be formatted in a variety of output styles, including APA, MLA, Turabian, and Chicago as well as the styles preferred by a number of journals. KU faculty, staff and students have unlimited access to this software. Library Help Guide. This database purchased with student technology fees.

Book Fest Bus Trip

2007-09-05T10:19:00.000-04:00

Attention Children's Literature Aficionados
Alpha Beta Alpha Library Science Fraternity is sponsoring a bus trip to Washington D.C. on September 29, 2007, for Book Fest on the Mall. The bus leaves Beekey parking lot at 6:30 a.m. and leaves D.C. at 5:30 p.m. No stops along the way.

Head to this website to see authors and more details about the day:
http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/

The Book Fest is fun - lots of authors. Last year Barnes and Noble had books for sale - no discount, however.

Bus drop off is within walking distance of monuments, Smithsonian, etc.
Click here for a map of the National Mall: http://www.washington-landmarks.com/map_national_mall.html

Cost is $32. ($27 for ABA members) If interested, please send a check for $32, payable to ABA. Please include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.

For more information, contact Eloise Long at: long@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4302 or stop by the Library Science and Instructional Technology office in "RL12" on the ground floor of Rohrbach Library.

Open Information Literacy Sessions for Students

2007-08-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

Don't know where to start with your research? Need help citing your sources? Can't find scholarly journals for your topic?

Get answers to all your questions at the Library's Open Sessions for students. Just drop in!

Where: Kutztown University, Rohrbach Library, room RL29

When: Fall 2007 - specific dates and times can be found at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/reference/infolit/ilcalendar_f07.asp

Contact Krista Prock, 610-683-4713, prock@kutztown.edu for more information.

Circulation Changes

2007-08-30T09:24:00.000-04:00

In an effort to create a more "Information Commons" approach to library service here at Kutztown's Rohrbach Library, we are streamlining our circulation desks. All library materials (other than those from the Audiovisual Center - which will still circulate from the AVC) will now be circulated through the Main Circulation Desk on the first floor of the library. There will still be an information desk available in the Curriculum Materials Center to assist patrons, but there will be no circulation tasks (checking in or out materials) from this desk. Your feedback is welcome.
Thanks.
Karen Wanamaker
CMC Librarian

New Database Additions Announced

2007-08-28T12:56:00.000-04:00

The library is pleased to announce the following additions to the library’s database collection:

Academic Search Complete - Upgrade of the popular Academic Search Premier database—adds over 1,300 new full-text scholarly journals.

African American Study Center Online - Combines the authority of carefully edited reference works with sophisticated technology to create the most comprehensive collection of scholarship available online to focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American history and culture. Includes over 7,500 articles with images, maps, charts & tables, and more.

AnthroSource - developed by the American Anthropological Association (AAA), brings 100 years of anthropological material online to scholars and the public, including a complete electronic archive of 20 AAA journals through 2003 and another 11 through to current. Seamless access to archival content housed at JSTOR.

AP Images - A research database of every news event covered by the Associated Press for the last 150 years. It is a look at history as seen through the eyes of the Associated Press.

Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online - A database of names, descriptions, and characteristics of over 165,000 places in the world.

Computers & Applied Sciences Complete - Covers the research and development spectrum of the computing and applied sciences disciplines. Full text is also available for more than 500 periodicals.

Education Research Complete - A bibliographic and full text database covering scholarly research and information relating to all areas of education. Topics covered include all levels of education from early childhood to higher education, and all educational specialties, such as multilingual education, health education, and testing.

ProjectMuse - Upgrade of popular humanities database - provides full-text access to an additional 25 scholarly journals.

JSTOR Arts and Sciences V - New JSTOR Collection, will add (upon completion in 2009) an additional 120 full-text scholarly journals.

Tests in Print - Produced by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements at the University of Nebraska, Tests in Print (TIP) serves as a comprehensive bibliography to all known commercially available tests that are currently in print in the English language.

For more information on these or other library databases, please contact Bob Flatley at flatley@kutztown.ed u or 610-683-4168.

CMC New Items Lists

2007-06-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

The Curriculum Materials Center's new items lists are now available online. The lists can be found at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/materials/cmcnewsletter.html

Included in the list are donated textbooks from Houghton Mifflin totaling over $20,000!

For more information, please contact Professor Karen Wanamaker.

Remember, you can always see what new materials the library has acquired by going to our online catalog and clicking on the “new books” tab. It’s a great tool, so check it out!

Building an Inclusive Community: What does it take?

2007-06-21T12:53:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, June 26, 2007, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., is the third opportunity during this summer’s Frederick Douglass Institute Scholar-in-Residence discussion series to dialogue with Dr. Nat Williams. He leads his campus-wide closing session in Rohrbach Library’s Voices & Choices Center gallery focusing on the modified topic, "Building an Inclusive Community: What does it take?" Bring your lunch and your thoughts to what promises to be another energy-renewing lunch break with Williams and some of your colleagues.

For more information contact Professor Sandra Allen.

Frederick Douglass Scholar-in-Residence lecture and discussion: Thursday, June 14th

2007-06-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

The Rohrbach Library’s Voices & Choices Center is proud to host the Frederick Douglass Institute Scholar, Nathaniel J. Williams, on Thursday, June 14th, 12:00 noon in the VCC Gallery on the 2nd floor. This open lecture and discussion is titled, "The Fight for Civil Rights/Racial Justice." Williams will also present "Underground Railroad" on Monday June 18th and "Publishing and Public Speaking" on Tuesday June 26th —at noon in the VCC gallery. For more information, please contact Professor Sandra Allen, VCC Librarian at 610-683-4163.

Thank You

2007-05-03T15:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all who participated in the LibQUAL survey for Rohrbach Library. Click on the image below for some examples of the results. Full results are available by contacting Professor Bob Flatley: 610-683-4168.

The following two images are also regarding the LibQUAL survey. They illustrate some of the results in a radar chart format. (Click on them for larger images.)

New Technology in the AV Center

2007-05-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

LOOK, up on the shelf, it’s an audio book on tape. No, it’s an audio book on CD. NO, NO, it is a portable digital AUDIO BOOK!

Indeed, the current flavor of audio book recently acquired by the Library’s AV Center is the portable digital audio book. The portable digital much resembles an iPod. Each unit comes complete with the narration of a book on an iPod-like playback device. Similar to the “books on tape” concept started over twenty years ago, portable digital books will usually contain an unabridged reading of an original piece of text. Also, similar to the tape, this audio version may contain a dramatization of the book with a complete cast or it may be a more simple narration, sometimes performed by the author.

Units can be checked out to Kutztown University students for a period of one week and longer periods to faculty. Community patrons are welcome to enjoy the digital audio books within the AV Center.

Titles include:
The Greatest Speeches of All Time – SMP 3
The Outsiders – SMP 8
Phantom of the Opera – SMP 9
Othello – SMP 12
Edgar Allan Poe, Collected Stories and Poems - SMP 13

For a complete listing, click on the Sound Media Players link on our New Acquisition page at: http://www.kutztown.edu/library/avcenter/new_acquisitions.htm.

For more information, please contact Professor Ted Hickman.

National Library Week

2007-04-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

What’s the one place on campus where you can come together with the ideas you need to write your thesis, meet with your friends for your Monday study group, and find the trained professionals who can connect you with the resources for your next research paper? It’s the Rohrbach Library!! This is National Library Week, a perfect time to check us out. Ideas and the space, resources, and personal service you need to make them happen come together @ your library.

A message brought to you by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America's Libraries and The Rohrbach Library

A DISCUSSION OF THE ETHICS OF DIFFERENCE

2007-04-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

Rohrbach Library’s Voices and Choices Center will host the last of the 2006-2007 KU Reading Exchange series on Thursday, April 19, 2007, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., in the VCC Gallery area. Under consideration is a proposal for a good and right—small ‘r’—way for individuals to relate to each other by giving respect to human differences.

Dr. Yong Huang, Professor of Philosophy at Kutztown University, leads an exchange of ideas about his paper, The Ethics of Difference in the Zhuangzi. While he refers to himself as a Neo-Confucian, the receipt of the [Carlson] Chambliss Faculty Research Award for his critical and quality contribution to cross-cultural hermeneutics may situate Huang in a more global ‘new modernist’ position because of the recognized fresh look he gives to a classical work during this post modern era and ‘post American Century.’

Huang writes about the development of an ‘ethics of difference’ within the "Equality of Things" chapter from the Taoist book, Zhuangzi, which imparts a way to live a moral life. Dr. Huang’s re-viewing of the moral questions posed in metaphors by Zhuangzi, with its ancient beginnings, recognizes the one Tao or cosmic perspective and advises a respect for the ‘other’ through the understanding of the equal worth of diverse ways of life.

Huang distinguishes the morality of respect for the equal worth of diverse ways of life from moral life governed by a universal law—an ethics of commonality—as taught by Confucius and advanced by others including the philosopher Emanuel Kant, or the idea of moral pluralism which emphasizes the importance of and sees the infinity of human difference resulting in realizing the prudence with ignoring difference and focusing on the commonalities, at least as advocated by linguist/philosopher Richard Rorty.

While Zhuangzi values a universe without distinction among the worth and wholeness of all things, what must also be interpreted in the morality of such an open perspective is the distinctly wrong and despicable neglect to check in with the other person to determine if the treatment about to be given is what the person wants. “…when we do something affecting others, we need to pay special attention to the uniqueness of the recipients of our actions.” [Huang 9]

Yong Huang offers a decent approach to (and an elegant statement on) human interaction. As a guiding principle, he identifies his restatement of the ethics of difference as The Copper Rule: “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.”

Please join us on Thursday for this discussion. Bring your lunch - light refreshments will be provided.

VCC Community Art Project and Alexander Pushkin Display!

2007-03-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

Alexander S. Pushkin, 1799-1837

Eggshell Mosaic Art Project:
Located outside of the VCC office on the library's second floor is a portrait of Alexander Pushkin that is meant to be a community creation. Beside the portrait are trays with eggshells to be applied to the portrait. The shells are to represent the fragility of all our lives and the thousand of pieces that come together from our experiences to make us who we are—complete and whole. Pushkin was a person of multiple cultural heritages combining in their entirety to form a celebrated, complex, colorful literary artist, lyricist, poet, musician, artist, partisan, and lover. Each of us touches the life of another. Even in the smallest way, we can decide to add something unique to magnify that other person. Come visit the VCC as we celebrate the life of Alexander Pushkin and participate in this unique community experience by adding some eggshells to the portrait.

Here are pictures of the portrait before anyone added shells (left), on March 28th(middle), and as of May 10th.

Biographical Information:
Alexander Pushkin is considered by many to be Russia’s national poet. His contribution to Russian literature is said to be immense. His style moved from the conventional romanticism of the day, where he wrote a great deal about love, friendship, and the good life, to an accessible realism typified in the novel length and somewhat biographical poem, “Eugene Onegin.” His humorous, irreverent writing has a ‘naturalness of expression.’ Another popular novel-length poem is his political novel, Boris Godunov.

Pushkin was born during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasions of Egypt and George Washington’s death. Russia established peace with England and France, and there was an industrial revolution in the west. He was the son of Sergei Lvovich Pushkin, an aristocrat in a position as an officer of the Imperial Guard, and his mother was the granddaughter of Peter the Great’s ‘favorite Negro,’ the Moor, Ibrahim Hannibal/ Abraham Petrovich, the ‘Negro of Abyssinia (i.e., Eritrea),’ Nadejda/Nadezhda Ossipovan Hannibal.

He grew up during the west’s educational reforms and Russia’s deteriorating social structure, and when the Zulu military was reinvented under Tshaka Zulu. He lived at the end of the revolutionary period and the Golden Age of Enlightenment—the period of a politically restrictive serfdom, economically chaotic, morally open, and socially pretentious and frivolous Romanticism. The period of the Russian nobles and Serfdom was nearly as descriptive as the same period in the U. S. with the landed gentry and slavery.

Pushkin spent a number of years in exile because of his political beliefs. He died at an early age in a classic duel.

The Voices & Choices Center Group 2007

Women's History Month

2007-03-08T09:02:00.000-05:00

Check out the Library of Congress Web site for Women's History Month for some great resources: http://www.loc.gov/topics/womenshistory/

Info from the site:

Welcome from the Librarian of Congress

For more than 200 years, the Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, has been gathering materials necessary to tell the stories of women in America. The Jefferson Building itself is adorned with ornate imagery of women. There is the image from the top of the dome in the Main Reading Room featuring the female form of Human Understanding lifting the veil of ignorance. There is also the Great Hall mosaic of Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom and Learning, setting aside her armor to contemplate such civilized pursuits as art, science, labor and law, all of which are intrinsic to the Library's mission of sparking and preserving knowledge and creativity.

As a leading resource for the study of women's history, the Library holds such gems as the Katherine Dunham Collection, manuscripts of several Zora Neale Hurston plays and scrapbooks from the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

In celebration of Women's History Month, the Library has developed this new Web site highlighting the many resources on women's history and culture available from our extensive online collections.

This annual celebration is one of the ways in which the Library heightens awareness and recognizes the contributions of women to our society and nation. This year's theme, "Generations of Women Moving History Forward," honors those whose intelligence, talent, courage and tenacity testify to the myriad ways that women have moved history forward.

On behalf of the dedicated Library of Congress staff, I invite you to the Library in Washington, D.C., for a series of special events related to the celebration of Women's History Month, including a keynote presentation by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) on March 14, 2007.

The Library's month-long celebration will help demonstrate how American women from all walks of life have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation in countless ways.

James H. Billington
Librarian of Congress

Philadelphia Activist and Author Dies

2007-02-24T10:36:00.000-05:00

The following information comes from the KU Daily Brief (posted by Robert Wickstrom, KU's GLBTQ Resource Center graduate assistant):

Barbara Gittings, Philadelphia native and renowned gay rights activist, died last Sunday at the age of 75 after a long fight with breast cancer. Gittings co-authored several works and helped to define the genre of Gay/Lesbian literature as a respected library science. She was also instrumental in the establishment of GLBT civil rights groups including Daughters of Bilitis and the American Library Association's Gay Task Force. For more information on Gittings and her legacy, stop by KU's GLBTQ Resource Center.

You can also find a nice article about her at:
http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/bio.cfm?LeaderID=14

New VCC Exhibit: Women in Art History

2007-02-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Voices and Choices Center will open its next exhibit, WOMEN IN ART HISTORY on Monday, March 5th with a gallery talk by Maureen Yoder and reception starting at 5:00 p.m.

Maureen Yoder Biography
Maureen Yoder has been teaching art to elementary students at Muhlenberg School District since 1994. Prior to teaching art, Ms. Yoder lived in New York City, where she worked as a painter, animator, illustrator, and graphic designer. Her paintings have been shown in Soho galleries, and her cut-out animations have been broadcast on PBS. Her present project, “Women in Art History” is the culmination of all these experiences. She presently lives outside of Kutztown in a log house in the woods of Greenwich Township. She has two sons. Maureen Yoder is a graduate of Kutztown University; she has a BFA in Painting with Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification.

History of the Project: “Women in Art History”

Women in Art History began as a third grade lesson in sketchbook making. To personalize the books students had the option of either making a fishing tackle basket or purse, that is to say the sketch books would have a handle along the spine, and students were encouraged to make drawings and entries that related to the theme of their book. As an example, I made a purse-book that showed famous artworks of women and information about them. While doing so, I realized that there were no art activity books that focused on female artists, nor were there any books on biographies of women artists that were directed to the young reader. I decided to create a book that provided brief, biographies of famous women in art, an art activity that related to each artist, and include in the book a section of blank sketchbook pages to encourage the young artist to draw on their own. “Women in Art History” is a work in progress; it is my Masters in Art Education thesis project. I am in the process of presenting it to publishers of children’s books for eventual publication.

Please contact VCC Librarian Sandra Allen for questions or more informaiton.

VCC Presents a KU Reading Exchange

2007-02-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

The New Multicultural Society

Are College Campuses Prepared?

Dr. Kelley Kenney and Mr. Mark Kenney

February 20th, 2007

11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The Voices & Choices Center Gallery

Guests are invited to read about the topic for discussion.
Copies of chapters are available at the library's circulation desk.

Art Wall Reception - January 30th!

2007-01-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

Rohrbach Library will be hosting a reception at the Reference Department Art Wall from 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, January 30th to honor the Graphic Design I students who have shared their "Voices from the Library" posters on display since November. Currently showing are the winners of judging by student viewers of the works, by librarian/judges, and by the American Institute of Graphic Arts Philadelphia in their "Wear Your Voice" t-shirt competition.
Please join us at the Reference Department Art Wall!
For more information, call 610-683-4165 or contact Claire Andrews or Sylvia Pham.

Blog design troubles - FIXED :)

2007-01-18T13:42:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the helpful comments, the problem is fixed.

Original post: This blog is undergoing temporary design issues. Please be patient as we try to find and correct the problem.
Thanks.

The Book, Bacchanalia, and Brazil Exhibit

2007-01-18T10:59:00.000-05:00

THE BOOK, BACCHANALIA, AND BRAZIL is a Voices & Choices Center (VCC) exhibit of masks and objects related to Carnival. The exhibit runs from January 15th — February 20th in the VCC Gallery, located on the second floor of Rohrbach Library above the Taylor & Barnes Café.

Information related to the exhibit:
The carnival season in western countries generally extends from Twelfth Night through Shrove Tuesday—interpreted as January 6th, the eve of the Epiphany, through the Tuesday before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is the definitive Carnival in the United States and typifies the customary bawdy mirth. Interestingly, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to welcome in the New Year, there is a related less ribald fancy dress tradition of a Mummers Parade which because of inclimate weather periodically takes place on or closer to Twelfth Night. Brazilian Carnival recognizes the start of Lent and is celebrated in different ways throughout the country. The Rio de Janeiro festival which incorporates elements from Europe, Africa, and the Americas is perhaps the most elaborate and best known Carnival worldwide.

The twelfth night after Christmas marks the end of winter festivals that begin on All Hallows Eve—Halloween. Today, it is observed with the public festivals of humorous and grotesque inversions, and moral un-inhibitions. Fasnacht, another pre-Lenten European festival, is traditionally three-days of evening revelry with parades of elaborate masks, sex reversal, lanterns, and fife and drum. While considerable Christian history is the basis of these galas, the manner of rejoicing is said to be very much rooted in ancient pagan festivals of political and social protests. Females standing against civil and moral laws are the historical initiators in the Roman Bacchus traditions. The original Bacchanalia are for women only and are secret. Grecian mythological counterparts are the female worshippers or the Maenad of Dionysus.

Today, disguise in the form of masks, fancy dress, processions, wine, merrymaking, and the persistent influence of phallism are descriptive of all related celebrations. The masked face is a prop to facilitate the removal of social barriers or hide the persona to reveal an unconscious self—at least Carl Jung and followers think it so. The fancy dress may bring an exaggerated symbol of importance to the events. Processions reinforce the community’s forward movement—its future. Wine is the intoxicant bringing the altered state, the emotional high of ecstasy that releases ‘tensions’ and frees expressions. Music, and noise-making help awaken and shake loose restrictions and repressions. Phallos is the symbol for fecundity and assertiveness, alive-ness and independence as described by Eugene Monick in Phallos (1989). The entirety is a communal form of social therapy as Wole Soyinka advises in his Bacchae of Euripides.

Ancient notions of creation and parentage as in the father of mankind, grabbing the male’s upper thigh to swear oaths in the name of his prodigy help to access the influence and mystique of the phallus. In pre-dynastic Egypt there is the appearance of images to ithyphallic gods such as Min, Re, and Geb who are icons of procreation—the revered and mysterious act of engendering life, producing the community. Similar gods and sacred symbols arrive later including Osiris, Baal, Ogun, Siva, and Vishnu; the Ben Ben, lingam, and matzebah.

The Roman god, Bacchus who is first named Liber provides the root for Carnival and such terms as liberi, libations, libertine, liberty, libra, and library. Phonetic and psychic associations of book/s, liberty, libido, free, German frei, Frey and Bacchus are noted by Paul Kugler in a provocative discussion from his Alchemy of Discourse. Religious ideas surrounding the erect penis are discussed for better or worse in such works as Ancient Symbol Worship by Westropp and Wake (2nd ed. reprint, 1972), The Phallic Quest, and Hermes the Thief. It seems appropriate that the library should acknowledge Bacchanal in form and function with a list of books and a free library exhibit for your pleasure and to welcome this 2007 Carnival season.

Future exhibits include:
· Women in Art History, exhibit opening and gallery talk by Art Education Graduate Student, Maureen Yoder — 5:00 p.m., March 5th, reception to follow.
· The Ethics of Difference, a KU Reading Exchange lead by 2006 KU Chambliss Faculty Research Award Recipient Dr. Yong Huang, 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m., April 19th.
· Moscow’s Golden Gentleman, Aleksander Pushkin exhibit and community mosaic portrait , March 20th — May 20th.

For more information:
Contact Professor Sandra Allen, VCC Librarian
Phone: 610.683.4163
Fax: 610.683 .4747
E-mail: allen@kutztown.edu

RL Extends Hours During Finals Week

2006-12-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

December 8 Friday 7:00 a.m. — 8:00 p.m.

December 9 Saturday 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

December 10 Sunday 10:00 a.m. — Midnight

December 11 - 14 Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. — Midnight

RL HOURS for Thanksgiving Recess 2006

2006-11-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

November 21 Tuesday 7:45 a.m. — 10:00 p.m.

November 22 Wednesday 7:45 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

November 23 (Thanksgiving Day) Thursday CLOSED

November 24 & 25 Friday & Saturday CLOSED

November 26 Sunday 6:00 p.m. — Midnight

POETRY OF IDENTITY

2006-11-14T15:20:00.000-05:00

A KU Reading Exchange

POETRY OF IDENTITY:
SAMPLING LATIN AMERICAN POETS
THEIR EXPERIENCES, STRUGGLES,
ROMANCE, SURVIVAL…

Presented by: Miguel Nieves

November 30, 2006
Thursday 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Rohrbach Library
Voices & Choices Center Gallery
2nd floor above the Coffee Bar

WIN AN iPOD NANO

2006-11-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

Help your library! Please take a few moments to take the library survey.

http://survey.libqual.org/index.cfm?ID=887892

You’ll be entered in a drawing to win great prizes:

iPod Nano
$50 Cash
KU bookstore gift card
$25 eBay gift
$25 Weis card
Taylor and Byrnes gift certificates

Thanks for your time and support of your library,

Dr. Barbara Darden
Dean of Library Services

If you cannot take the online survey contact Bob Flatley, flatley@kutztown.edu, 610-683-4168 for a print copy.

Please note: You must be a student or employee of Kutztown University to take this survey and be entered to win prizes.

Announcing Mergent Online Database

2006-11-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

We are excited to announce our subscription to Mergent Online, a premier company and business research tool.

Mergent Online provides a fully searchable database of over 10,000 U.S. public companies, over 18,000 international companies, and over 8,000 "dead stocks." Worldwide industry reports, company tear sheets, custom reports and screening capabilities are also available. Unique features include:

Company histories
15 years as-reported financials
Joint ventures
Earnings estimates
Institutional holdings
Insider trades
Long term debt histories
Property owned and leased
Full-text EDGAR search capabilities

Company Archives Data: U.S. Company Archives Data holds the full business descriptions, histories and financial statements for companies that were acquired, went bankrupt, liquidated or merged out of existence from 1996 onward. The International Company Archives Data provides the firms' final balance sheets, income statements, capital structures, text descriptions of their businesses and histories, as well as their officers and directors from 1995 forward.

FactSheets: Presentation quality one page equity analysis stock summaries. More than 1500 NYSE, NASDAQ and AMEX companies' reports are updated quarterly with critical investment information, including summaries of recent quarterly results, analyses of future prospects, income statement and balance sheet information, key operating statistics and ratios.

Factsheets Express: Available on 10,000 U.S. and Canadian companies, these presentations-quality summary equity reports are posted in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and updated with weekly closing prices. Each company report covers 15 year stock price and volume chart, summary of annual financials, recent dividends and splits, recent quarterly earnings, transfer agent, key financial ratios, institutional holdings summary.

Mergent Industry Reports provided in-depth analysis of key industries covering United States and Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe. These reports describe the market environment and industry landscape for companies, industries, countries and regions as well as key trends and market outlooks. The Comparable Company Data area provides key company data for the leading companies in the industry being covered. Each report is updated twice a year.

Mergent's Industry Surveys

Automotive
Aviation
Banking
Biotech
Chemicals
Electricity
Food & Beverage
Heavy Construction
Insurance
Broadcasting Cable
Capital Goods
Chemicals: Basic
IT & High-Technology
Media
Medical Instruments & Equipment
Metal Works
Mining (Non-Precious)
Oil & Gas
Pharmaceuticals
Precious Metals
Property & Development
Telecommunications
Insurance: Property-Casualty

Access at http://voyager.ship.edu/remote/validate.cgi?db=MERGENT

It is linked on the library’s database page at http://www.kutztown.edu/library/information/articles.asp

Samhain – November 1

2006-10-18T13:08:00.000-04:00

Samhain (pronounced sow′-en) means “summer’s end” in the Gaelic languages of Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Wales. To the ancient Celts who settled in these areas, the year consisted of two seasons, the light (summer) and the dark (winter). The Samhain festival marked the transition from summer to winter as well as the beginning of the Celtic New Year.

As the days grew colder and darker, herders led their sheep and cattle from their summer pastures in higher elevations down into the valleys. They killed many of the animals and preserved the meat to provide food for the long winter. Others gathered the last crops of the harvest -- barley, oats, wheat, turnips, and apples – before the winter frosts would come and destroy them. They gathered firewood and cut and dried peat to heat their homes, cook their food, and light the dark nights. Families and communities often gathered to celebrate successful harvests with feasts accompanied by storytelling, games, and divination (fortune-telling through natural objects).

The Celts believed that during the time of Samhain the barrier between the natural world and the spirit world was at its thinnest and that it was possible to communicate with the dead. They also believed that supernatural beings such as fairies were more active at this time than at others. People traveled fearfully, hoping to avoid the fairies as they roamed the countryside looking to play tricks on or even abduct the unwary. They sometimes left offerings of milk and barley outside their homes to appease the fairies and keep their families safe from harm.

In common with many other cultures, the Celts acknowledged the change of the seasons in their religious lives. The Druids, the priestly class within Celtic cultures, conducted elaborate ceremonies at Samhain. While little is known of the practices of the Druids since they left no writings of their own to explain their beliefs and rituals, there are accounts in secular historical writings that provide some information about the religious aspects of Samhain. In Ireland, the tribes united under the rule of a High King gathered at Tara, the administrative center of the kingdom, for a great feast every year at Samhain. From Tara the scene shifted to Tlachtga, a sacred hill, where Druids lighted a great bonfire for the new year.

Christianity ultimately supplanted the native religions of the Celts living in the British Isles. The Roman Catholic Church, as it often had done with other pagan festivals, adopted Samhain for its own and put a Christian face on it. During the tenth century, November 1 became All Saints’ Day on the Christian calendar and was designated as a day to celebrate the lives of all the saints and martyrs of the church. Some time later All Souls’ Day was established on November 2 to celebrate the lives of all the faithful departed.

Even though the religion from which Samhain had its origin had faded away, many of the beliefs and rituals of Samhain survived as folk customs among peoples of Celtic ancestry. Pastoral people continued to celebrate the harvest with bonfires, a practice that continues today in some of the more rural areas of Scotland and Ireland. Belief in supernatural beings such as fairies and ghosts persisted in the Christian era in spite of the church’s attempts to eradicate it. As they had with Samhain, people came to associate All Saints’ Day, or All Hallow’s Day as it was known then, with increased supernatural activity. These beings were thought to be particularly active on the night before All Hallow’s Day, All Hallow’s E’en (Evening). A custom developed in which adults dressed up in costumes and went from house to house playing tricks and demanding tributes of food in imitation of the fairies. They frequently carried lanterns made of turnips that they had hollowed out and carved a face into one side. A candle inside the turnips provided light for their journeys as it shined through the carved faces.

Over many years these customs grew into the celebration that we know as Halloween. While Halloween today is primarily a holiday for children devoid of religious or spiritual significance, many of the symbols we commonly associate with it derive from ancient Celtic practices. Ghosts, fairies, witches, apples, and even black cats are all elements that date back to the celebration of Samhain more than one thousand years ago. Another Halloween tradition, trick or treating, known in Scotland as guising, while not nearly so old, nonetheless has its origin in Samhain. Immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland carried Halloween to the United States where it has been widely celebrated since the mid-nineteenth century. The United States in turn has contributed its own touch to the observance of Halloween by substituting the round orange pumpkin for the turnip and long-necked squash traditionally used to make jack-o-lanterns.

The ancient Druids have long vanished and the Celtic tribes they served have been transformed into the Scots, Irish, Welsh, and Cornish. Samhain, however, has recently come back to life. Many modern-day pagans, among them Wiccans and Druids, model their beliefs on the ancient Celtic religions and have revived the celebration of Samhain in its original form.

Sources:

Barrett, Suzanne. Samhain: the Eve of All Hallow. N.p.: Suzanne Barrett’s Ireland for Visitors, n.d.; accessed 25 October 2002; available from http://www.irelandforvisitors.com/articles/samhain.htm; Internet.

Davidson, H. R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1988.

Freeman, Mara. Samhain. Carmel, Calif.: Chalice Productions, 1999; accessed 25 October 2002; available from http://www.chalicecenter.com/samhain.htm; Internet.

Green, Miranda J. Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1992.

Kelley, Ruth Edna. The Book of Hallowe’en. Boston: Lothrop, Lee & Shephard, 1919.

Santino, Jack, ed. Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1994.

VCC Presents Original Dolls in Gallery Exhibit

2006-06-19T08:50:00.000-04:00

The Voices and Choices Center (VCC) Gallery will host an exhibit of original dolls by Mrs. Doris Leibensperger from July 1st through September 1st. (See image below)

For more information about dolls and a list of available library resources, please see the Doll Bibliography (a PDF document). The VCC Gallery is located on the second floor of Rohrbach Library. For more information on the VCC, please contact Professor Sandra Allen at 610-683-4163 or allen@kutztown.edu.

Summer Hours and Exceptions

2006-06-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

The library is still open and active during the summer. For those of you who want to use our resources or simply hang out in the air conditioning, our summer hours include the following. Professors who would like to request instruction for a summer course should contact the Reference Desk at 610-683-4165.

Library Hours:
2006 Summer Session I
May 31 - June 30, 2006

Monday — Thursday		7:45 a.m. — 10:00 p.m.
Friday		7:45 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Saturday		9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Sunday		CLOSED

July 1 - July 9, 2006

Monday - Friday		8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Saturday		CLOSED
Sunday		CLOSED

July 4 - CLOSED

2006 Summer Session II
July 10 - August 10, 2006

Monday — Thursday		7:45 a.m. — 10:00 p.m.
Friday		7:45 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Saturday		9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Sunday		CLOSED

August 11 - August 27, 2006

Monday - Friday		8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Saturday		CLOSED
Sunday		CLOSED

Science Direct College Edition now available

2006-05-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

The Library is excited to announce our subscription to the Science Direct College Edition: http://www.sciencedirect.com/college/search

This database will provide us access to some of the same Elsevier journal content that only the “big schools” usually get. The library is participating in a special program called the “ScienceDirect College Edition” that allows smaller institutions such as ours to afford Science Direct content.

Specifically the library is purchasing 2 “modules” of content:

Health and Life Sciences Journal collection – 900 full-text peer reviewed journals
Physical Sciences Journal collection – 600 full-text peer reviewed journals

For a complete title list go to: http://info.sciencedirect.com/licensing/primary/college/

This collection represents the addition of 1500 unique, peer-reviewed electronic titles to our collection (this is Elsevier content so there is no overlap with our other electronic holdings).

The database is available on the library’s web site under Articles and E-Journals http://www.kutztown.edu/library/information/articles.asp linked under the alphabetical list and the Health, Biology, Enviro Sci, Sciences, Chemistry, and Geography subject lists.

The direct vendor url is: http://www.sciencedirect.com/college/search

Please note that this search engine allows you to search all College Editions’ collections so not everything will be full-text (full-text will be noted). Another bonus is that we have abstracting for all the Science Direct College Edition content.

To search only the full text articles, change All Journals to Subscribed Journals in the Source search box.

Please note: off-campus access is available but you have to email me for a user id/password and instructions.

This database was purchased with student technology fees.

Watch for upcoming training events for this new database from the library.

For more information, contact Robert Flatley, Electronic Resources and Periodicals Librarian

Street Literature Presentation

2006-05-01T13:42:00.000-04:00

On April 4th, Clarion University professor Vanessa J. Morris presented two sessions discussing Street Literature. As a former librarian for the Free Library of Philadelphia, Professor Morris’ professional interests include young adult services, rural libraries, and urban branch libraries.

Professor Morris began by describing Hip Hop culture. She noted that elements of the culture are present everywhere, from the kind of music that people listen to, to the clothing brands that they wear. She also stated that “Rap is something you do. Hip hop is something you live.”

Street Literature describes the daily lives of people (most generally African-Americans, but aspects of Latino culture are also present) living in the inner city. Common themes include young women coming of age, young men at turning points, sexuality, drama, drug addiction and drug trafficking.

Professor Morris made sure to include the names of authors who have made Street Literature popular, specifically Zane, the “Queen of Street Lit.” Since the release of three self-published books in 2000, Zane signed a contract with Simon and Schuster in June 2001, and has written over a dozen books. Recently, Zane held seven of the top fifteen African American fiction titles at Waldenbooks Nationwide including the first, second and third positions.

Street Lit remains controversial, and it has been banned from some public and school libraries. Despite this, the genre continues to grow in popularity and the Street Lit audience as a whole continues to grow.

For more info on Professor Morris, check out her blog!

http://vanessajmorris.blogspot.com

Celebrating the SHOOFLY LITERARY MAGAZINE

2006-04-16T19:36:00.000-04:00

The Launch Party and Reading Celebration for the Shoofly Literary Magazine Vol. 2 will take place in the library’s Voices & Choices Center Gallery on Thursday, April 20th at 4:30 p.m. For more information, send an e-mail to shoofly@kutztown.edu .

Reading Exchange Reminder

2006-04-16T19:34:00.000-04:00

As a school boy in India, Dr. Keshav Gupta read Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, My Experiments with the Truth. Afterward, many of the myths about Gandhi promoted in the media and in the books he read were erased, Gandhi and his work were better understood and held in esteem. It was a life-changing experience for the young Gupta.

Join Dr. Gupta Wednesday April 26, 2006 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. as he shares the Gandhi autobiography from the perspective of its considerable personal impact. Exchange what you have read about the man and the culture. To help prepare for the discussion, photocopied sets of a few chapters selected by Dr. Gupta are available at the circulation desk of the library.

This dialogue in the library’s Voices & Choices Center Gallery (2nd floor) is a collaboration between the VCC and the Office of Public Engagement and is the final Reading Exchange for the semester. An open invitation is extended to all interested in learning more about Gandhi, Hindu culture, and India in general.

Curriculum Materials Center Increases Textbook Holdings

2006-04-16T18:41:00.000-04:00

The Curriculum Materials Center has received (via donations or orders) many new textbooks over the past few months. Reps from various publishers (Harcourt, Scott Foresman, McGraw Hill, Holt, and Prentice Hall) have found it profitable to donate new editions of some or all of their textbook series for our College of Education majors to use and review. This gives their future clientel a chance to get to know their products, and it gives our budget a HUGE relief. To buy the materials that we received via donations, we would have had to spend well over $40,000! We also have purchased a variety of textbooks for the collection to support various education courses.

We hope to have all of these new materials processed and on the shelves by the Fall 2006 semester, so make sure you stop by in the fall to see them!

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Wanamaker at kwanamak@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4709.

Integrating Information Literacy into the Syllabi

2006-04-02T19:23:00.000-04:00

Integrating Information Literacy
into the Syllabi

A Presentation and Panel Discussion
with Dr. Marjorie Warmkessel and KU faculty members

Who:	Dr. Marjorie Warmkessel and KU faculty members
When:	Monday April 10, 2006, 4:00 pm-6:00 pm
Where:	SUB Multi-Purpose Room, Buffet dinner will be served
Contact:	Please RSVP to Lisa Deitrich at ldietric@kutztown.edu, 3-1319 if you would like to attend.
What:	Do your students go to Google first for research? Are you concerned about the resources that they are using? Learn ways to insure that your students are using the best resources for their research. This program will feature a nationally recognized expert on accomplishing this and a moderated panel discussion with KU faculty members who are doing this.

Moderator/Keynote Speaker: Dr. Marjorie Warmkessel
Dr. Warmkessel is a nationally recognized expert on integrating information literacy skills into the classroom. She advises the Middle States Commission on Higher Education on issues related to information literacy and was one of the authors of “Developing Research & Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum.” This booklet outlines the new information literacy standards and provides practical advice to institutions on meeting these standards. She is Director of the Center for Academic Excellence at Millersville University and the Coordinator of Public Services at the Ganser Library.

Kutztown Faculty Panel
Information Literacy and Kutztown: What are your colleagues doing?

Dr. Andrew Arnold, History
Dr. Jennifer Forsyth, English
Dr. Kevin Mahoney, English
Dr. Phyllis Miller, Elementary Education
Prof. Melissa Nurczynski, English
Prof. Krista Prock, Library

Sponsored by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching
and the Rohrbach Library Information Literacy Committee

Lift Every Voice and Sing: Classic Music of Black America

2006-03-29T10:13:00.000-05:00

A standard of musical excellence central to the historical identity of blacks in the United States is gospel music as interpreted initially by slaves imitating music heard from their slave masters’ churches. Today black gospel music is the foundation upon which is built the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, hip-hop… On exhibit in the Voices & Choices Center Gallery is a pictorial montage of the music’s roots and offshoots.

Also see a bibliography of Rohrbach Library resources on this topic.

This exhibit supports the Kutztown University Performing Artists Series' concert by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and The Dixie Hummingbirds on Thursday, April 6, 2006.